Pole-mounted flags, banners, pennants and the like, whether representative of a nation, company, university, athletic team, or other organization, represent a source of pride to those who display them. Generally, such flags and the like cannot be adequately displayed at night because of poor visibility. Because many people would prefer that their flag be seen at all times of the day or night and at any time of the year, it is common to try to illuminate such flags so that they are always visible.
Conventionally, this has been accomplished by pointing a floodlight located on the ground up toward the sky in the general direction of the pole-mounted flag. The use of floodlights, however, has several drawbacks. First, depending on the voltage range used, installing a floodlight may require applying for and obtaining a license. Second, floodlights are often expensive to purchase, expensive to operate on a daily basis, and difficult to use and maintain. Third, the intensely bright, broad beam from a floodlight typically illuminates more of the sky than of the flag, thereby providing unsatisfactory visibility for the flag and adding to the not-insignificant problem of atmospheric light pollution.
These drawbacks to the use of floodlights for illuminating pole-mounted flags, banners, pennants and the like gave rise to various solutions which involve mounting a light source in close proximity to the flag, typically at or near the top of the pole. U.S. Pat. No. 1,660,341, for instance, discloses attaching a translucent closure to the upper end of the pole and placing a light source inside the closure to project rays of light upon the flying flag. While such a device allows for the use of less light than a floodlight, it still does not solve the problem of illuminating more of the surrounding sky than the flag itself.
Accordingly, improvements in the art have incorporated placing reflective surfaces above the light source in order to direct the light downward toward the flag, banner, pennant, or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,929 describes mounting a reflector cone to the top of the pole. This reflector cone has a light source inside, an inner surface coated with a reflective material, and a base with four lenses for light to pass through. As a result of this design, light from the light source is reflected downward by the reflective material through the lenses to illuminate the area around the pole. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,683 proposes the use of a knob having a light source inside, a cover whose upper portion is opaque and whose lower portion is translucent, and a reflecting surface located inside the cover but above the light source. Thus, light from the light source is reflected downward by the reflecting surface through the translucent lower portion of the cover to illuminate the area around the pole. Although such devices reduce the amount of atmospheric light pollution by focusing the light downward, they fail to focus the light directly on the flag, banner, pennant or the like. Such devices illuminate the entire area around the pole even though the flag is only on one side of the pole at any given time.
To better focus the light directly on the flag, banner, pennant or the like, lighting devices have been created that place the light source immediately adjacent to the flag. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 1,171,917 discloses arranging several light sources adjacent to the hoist or staff end of the flag. Likewise, U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0193804 proposes placing a light source within a transparent portion of the flag-mounted pole, immediately adjacent the flag. Both of these designs incorporate the use of reflectors which focus the light directly toward the flag and which are adapted to pivot around the pole in proper relation to the flag as the flag changes positions due to directional changes in air flow. These and similar devices are advantageous because they illuminate only the flag, banner, pennant or the like and are capable of maintaining such illumination as the wind causes the flag to rotate around the pole. The problem with such devices is that they are not adaptable to existing poles. Because placing a light source adjacent to the flag, rather than above the flag, involves manipulating the structure of the pole, this solution is not favored by those who wish to add illumination to their existing flag, banner, or pennant display.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved beacon or light for illuminating a flag, banner, pennant or the like that reduces atmospheric light pollution by focusing light directly toward the flag, maintains focused illumination as the flag rotates around the pole due to changes in air flow, and is adaptable to existing poles.